John Wallop, 1st Earl of Portsmouth (1690–1762)
A British politician and Whig MP who sat in the House of Commons from 1715 to 1720 before being raised to the peerage. He held positions including Governor of the Isle of Wight and Vice Admiral of Hampshire, with his seat at Hurstbourne Park.
Key Facts about John Wallop, 1st Earl of Portsmouth:
- Born: April 15, 1690.
- Died: November 22, 1762.
- Political Career: Represented Andover and Hampshire in the House of Commons.
- Titles: Created Viscount Lymington and Baron Wallop in 1720, and 1st Earl of Portsmouth on April 11, 1743.
- Offices Held: Vice Admiral of the County of Southampton (1733) and Governor of the Isle of Wight (1760).
- Family: Married Bridget Bennet in 1716 and later Elizabeth Griffin in 1741. His family seat was Hurstbourne Park, Hampshire.
He was a staunch supporter of the Walpole administration in the House of Commons before being elevated to the peerage.
John Wallop, 2nd Earl of Portsmouth (1742–1797)
A British peer and the grandson of John Wallop, 1st Earl of Portsmouth. Styled as Viscount Lymington before inheriting the title in 1762, he married Urania Fellowes, daughter of Coulson Fellowes of Eggesford, and was succeeded by his son, John Charles Wallop.
Key Details regarding the 2nd Earl of Portsmouth:
- Birth/Death: Born in 1742; died in 1797.
- Succession: Succeeded his grandfather, the 1st Earl, in 1762.
- Family: Married Urania Fellowes on August 27, 1763.
- Children: His children included John Charles Wallop (3rd Earl of Portsmouth, born 1767) and Newton Fellowes (4th Earl of Portsmouth, born 1772).
Wikipedia +3
He was part of the Wallop family based at Farleigh House in Hampshire.
John Charles Wallop 3rd Earl of Portsmouth (18 December 1767 – 14 July 1853),
A British nobleman primarily remembered for his mental instability and the high-profile legal battles regarding his sanity.
Life and Character
Educated by the father of Jane Austen, Portsmouth was noted from a young age for being “backward” and having a severe stammer. He was widely considered to be of unsound mind, though he was a neighbor of Austen and a friend of Lord Byron, who famously described him as a “prize fool” but initially doubted he was truly insane.
The Guardian +2
His behaviour was often bizarre and sadistic, including:
- “Black Jobs”: A morbid obsession with funerals, which he frequently attended and even insisted on tolling the church bells for.
- Cruelty: Reports of him whipping servants, bleeding his horses, and engaging in erratic “games” like chasing servants with a broom between his legs.
- Royal Delusions: At his estate, Hurstbourne Park, he reportedly built a throne and declared himself the “King of Hampshire”.
Marriages and Legal Trials
Portsmouth’s life was marked by two significant marriages and an eventual declaration of lunacy:
- First Marriage: In 1799, he married Hon. Grace Norton, who was 15 years his senior. She was credited with moderating his eccentricities and keeping them from public view until her death in 1813.
- Second Marriage: In 1814, one of his trustees, John Hanson, allegedly forced him into a marriage with his daughter, Mary Anne Hanson. This marriage was deeply troubled; it was claimed she locked him up and treated him cruelly.
- Annulment and Lunacy: In 1823, a Commission of Lunacy was brought against him by his brother, Newton Fellowes. Portsmouth was officially declared to be of unsound mind, and his second marriage was annulled in 1828.
Wikipedia +3
He died without issue in 1853 and was succeeded by his brother, Newton Fellowes, 4th Earl of Portsmouth.
Newton Fellowes (1772–1854) 4th Earl of Portsmouth,
A Whig politician, he served as MP for Andover (1802–1820) and North Devon (1832–1837). Originally named Wallop, he changed his surname to Fellowes in 1794. He died in 1854 and was succeeded by his son, Isaac.
Key Facts about Newton Fellowes, 4th Earl of Portsmouth:
- Birth/Death: Born June 26, 1772; Died January 9, 1854.
- Political Career: Educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. Served as a Whig MP for Andover (1802-20) and North Devon (1832-37).
- Name Change: Born Newton Wallop, he changed his name to Fellowes in 1794 upon inheriting the estates of his maternal uncle.
- Family: He married Frances Sherard (d. 1819) in 1795, with whom he had a son (who died before him) and a daughter. He married Lady Catherine Fortescue in 1854, with whom he had one son, Isaac (later the 5th Earl).
- Succession: He succeeded his brother, John Charles Wallop (3rd Earl), in 1853, but only held the title for about a year.
- Burial: He was buried at All Saints Church, Eggesford.
Isaac Newton Wallop (11 January 1825 – 4 October 1891) 5th Earl of Portsmouth.
A British peer and landowner, he is most noted for his donation of the “Portsmouth Papers”—a vast collection of Sir Isaac Newton’s manuscripts—to Cambridge University.
Wikipedia +1
Key Biography & Peerage
- Birth & Succession: Born Isaac Newton Fellowes, he resumed the family name Wallop by Royal Licence upon succeeding his father, the 4th Earl, in 1854.
- Education: He was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College, Cambridge, receiving his MA in 1848.
- Honours Declined: He notably declined both a Marquessate and the Order of the Garter offered by Prime Minister William Gladstone, reportedly because he felt they were “beyond his merits”.
- Interests: Known as a dedicated sportsman, he was famously associated with the Eggesford Hunt in Devon and was caricatured in Vanity Fair under the name “Horseflesh”.
The Portsmouth Papers
In 1872, the Earl donated the scientific portion of Sir Isaac Newton’s personal papers to his alma mater, Trinity College, Cambridge. These papers had entered the Wallop family through the marriage of Newton’s great-niece, Catherine Conduitt, to John Wallop, Viscount Lymington. While the university kept the scientific manuscripts, they returned the personal, theological, and alchemical papers to the family.
University of Cambridge +1
Family and Issue
He married Lady Eveline Alicia Juliana Herbert, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon, in 1855. They had twelve children, including:
Wikipedia
- Newton Wallop, 6th Earl: Known as the “Red Earl,” he was a politician and early motoring enthusiast.
- John Fellowes Wallop, 7th Earl: Succeeded his brother in 1917.
- Oliver Henry Wallop, 8th Earl: Succeeded in 1925.
- Lady Rosamond Wallop: Married Augustus Langham Christie of Glyndebourne.
Newton Wallop, 6th Earl of Portsmouth (1856–1917)
British Liberal politician, landowner, and Under-Secretary of State for War (1905–1908). Educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, he held estates in Hampshire and served as a Deputy Lieutenant of County Wexford. He succeeded to the title in 1891.
Key Details of the 6th Earl of Portsmouth:
- Name: Newton Wallop.
- Lifespan: January 19, 1856 – December 4, 1917.
- Political Career: Liberal politician; Member of Parliament (MP) for Barnstaple; Under-Secretary of State for War (1905–1908).
- Background: Son of Isaac Wallop, 5th Earl of Portsmouth, and Lady Eveline Alicia Juliana Herbert.
- Estates: Managed extensive land, including Farleigh Wallop, Hampshire.
- Portraits: Several portraits of him are in the National Portrait Gallery collection, including caricatures from Vanity Fair where he was nicknamed “The Demon”.
Wikipedia +4
He died in 1917 and was succeeded by his brother, John Fellowes Wallop, 7th Earl of Portsmouth.
John Fellowes Wallop (1859–1925) was the 7th Earl of Portsmouth
Succeeding his brother in 1917. Educated at Eton and residing at Barton House, Devon, he was a Justice of the Peace and Vice-Lieutenant for Devon. He died unmarried in 1925, causing the title to pass to his younger brother, Oliver Henry Wallop.
Wikipedia +4
Key Details of John Fellowes Wallop (1859–1925):
- Birth & Parentage: Born 27 December 1859, the second son of Isaac Newton Wallop, 5th Earl of Portsmouth, and Lady Eveline Alicia Juliana Herbert.
- Title Succession: Succeeded his brother, Newton Wallop (6th Earl), in 1917.
- Life & Career: Lived at Barton House on the Eggesford Estate in Devon, where he was a prominent local figure, serving as a Vice-Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace. He was also known to have been a private secretary to the Governor of Tasmania.
- Key Conflict: Experienced a notable disagreement with his brother, the 6th Earl, over the sale of the Eggesford Estate in 1913.
- Death: Died on 7 September 1925, at age 65, in a nursing home following a short illness. Because he was unmarried, the earldom passed to his younger brother, Oliver.
Oliver Henry Wallop (1861–1943) 8th Earl of Portsmouth,
A British peer who became a rancher in Wyoming, USA, and served in the Wyoming State Legislature. He unexpectedly inherited the title in 1925, renounced his American citizenship to take his seat in the House of Lords, and died in Colorado.
Wikipedia +2
Key Details About Oliver Wallop, 8th Earl of Portsmouth:
- Early Life: Born on January 13, 1861, in Devon, England, to Isaac Wallop, 5th Earl of Portsmouth.
- American Life: As the third son, he moved to Miles City, Montana, in 1883 and later purchased the Canyon Ranch in Big Horn, Wyoming, in 1895. He became an American citizen in 1904.
- Wyoming Legislature: He served in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1908 to 1916.
- Inheritance: He succeeded his brother, John Fellowes Wallop, the 7th Earl, on September 7, 1925.
- Marriage and Children: He married Marguerite Walker in 1897; she died in 1938. They had several children, including Gerard Wallop, who became the 9th Earl of Portsmouth.
- Return to England: He returned to England to take his seat in the House of Lords but retained ties to Wyoming.
- Death: He died on February 10, 1943, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and was buried in Sheridan, Wyoming.
- Family Legacy: His grandson, Malcolm Wallop, served as a United States Senator for Wyoming.
Gerard Vernon Wallop, 9th Earl of Portsmouth (1898–1984),
A British landowner, politician, and author known for promoting organic farming, sustainable agriculture, and right-wing political ideologies in the mid-20th century. He served as MP for Basingstoke (1929–1934), managed large agricultural estates in Kenya, and was a prominent figure in the early organic movement.
Hampshire County Council +3
Key Facts about Gerard Wallop, 9th Earl of Portsmouth:
- Background: Born in Chicago, USA, to an American mother and British father, he moved to England at age 11, later educating at Winchester and Balliol College, Oxford.
- Politics: As Viscount Lymington, he was a Conservative MP, but later became involved with right-wing, anti-Semitic organizations like the English Mistery, promoting, agrarian, “back to the land” English nationalism.
- Agriculture & Environment: He was a passionate proponent of organic farming, believing that traditional agriculture was essential for national health and character.
- Life in Kenya: Moved to Kenya in 1950, farming over 12,000 acres, and serving in the Kenya Legislative Council (1957–1960).
- Legacy: He was a key figure in the mid-century organic movement, often working with figures like Sir Albert Howard.
- Succession: He succeeded his father, Oliver Wallop, 8th Earl of Portsmouth, in 1943.
Quentin Gerard Carew Wallop 10th Earl of Portsmouth
A British peer and the current head of the Wallop family, he succeeded to the title in September 1984 following the death of his grandfather, the 9th Earl.
Wikipedia +1
Profile Summary
- Born: 25 July 1954.
- Education: Educated at Eton College.
- Family Seat: Farleigh House in Hampshire.
- Current Status: He is a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of Hampshire.
Wikipedia +1
Professional and Public Life
- Business: He was a non-executive director of the Grainger Trust (now Grainger plc) from 1987 to 2002 and was previously its largest shareholder.
- Parliament: He held a seat in the House of Lords as an hereditary peer until he was excluded by the House of Lords Act 1999.
- Notable Activities: He is known for helping to fund the legal expenses of Nikolai Tolstoy and Neil Hamilton in high-profile libel cases.
- Local Involvement: He has served as Chairman of the Hampshire branch of the Game Conservancy Trust and President of the Basingstoke Conservative Association